Concerns are mounting that a reported loss of cellular service is jeopardizing the delivery of emergency services on Texada Island.
According to a media release, areas of Texada have been without cellular phone service for more than a month, and residents are publicly demanding that the provider, Telus, immediately restore service by setting up a mobile cell tower, as the company did for Lytton when the June 30 wildfire took out service there.
“What we saw in Lytton was that Telus has the equipment and the ability to restore service within 48 hours by using a mobile cell tower,” stated Chuck Childress, chair of the Gillies Bay Improvement District (GBID). “If they can do that there in the middle of a wildfire, then surely they can do it here. Telus may think there are not enough of us to bother with, but I will point out that the population of Gillies Bay alone is about double that of Lytton, and the threat of wildfire here is just as real.”
In an interview with the Peak, Childress said Texada residents don’t know what the problem is.
“All we know is it doesn’t work, whether it’s an equipment failure or whatever it is,” said Childress. “It’s been frustrating. Our [GBID] board has been in communication trying to get things fixed with Telus and there just doesn’t seem to be a response. That’s why we’re saying we don’t know what the problem is, but if you pop one of those emergency cell towers in here, it will look after things until they can fix whatever is wrong.”
Childress said the tower is located on Mount Pocahontas on Texada. He said the signal, when working, is not good.
“We’ve had cellular service for years off of that tower and it may just be that the equipment is ancient,” he added. “We don’t know what the issue is. It degraded over a period of time and it’s basically nonfunctioning.”
Childress said islanders have been in touch with Telus and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). He said the CRTC responded to a letter from the islanders indicating that it doesn’t deal with those kinds of issues.
“There are reams of people who have contacted Telus and have been told they were the first one to report it and they’d never heard of this; we’re not getting anywhere and it needs to be addressed,” said Childress. “If a fatality happens or a wildfire happens, then everyone is going to be pointing fingers. Our fire department is really concerned.
“The mobile world is the reality. You should be able to use a service that you’re paying for. You should be able to make a simple voice call in an emergency.”
Service loss worries fire chief
The release stated that GBID provides fire protection for roughly 500 properties on Texada. Fire chief Rob McWilliam is very concerned by the loss of service.
“What if you see a forest fire, but you can’t call to report it?” asked McWilliam. “What if your partner is having a heart attack but you can’t call for help? What if you are in a car accident but your phone does not have reception? All of these are possible on Texada Island, and it keeps me awake worrying about them.”
Childress stated that the island has excellent, well-trained first responders, but they cannot do their jobs if that critical first step, communication, is missing.
He stated that the matter is not just about emergency services. The local vaccination clinic had to waste COVID-19 vaccines because of the inability to contact clients, and island businesses cannot function efficiently, he added.
Longtime Texada Island resident Leslie Goresky stated: “It is frustrating to watch a cute giraffe in a Telus commercial telling us how wonderful 4G and 5G are, when we are sitting here paying the same rates, but receiving zero G.”
Telus has responded by indicating that as part of its ongoing investment in infrastructure and service upgrades across its network in response to increasing demand, the company is currently upgrading one of its mobility sites located on Texada.
“Once complete, the essential network capacity additions will improve voice services across the island and surrounding waterways, improving public safety by providing more reliable service and access to emergency help when needed, while also enhancing data capacity and unleashing faster internet speeds for residents and visitors,” stated Chelsey Rajzer, Telus senior communications manager, public relations. “As we complete these upgrades, services could be temporarily affected, and we apologize for any inconvenience this is causing. We are working to finish these upgrades quickly, and anticipate all work will be completed by the fall.”
